Two-wheeled tractor for cultivators and other machines and method of constructing same



Nov. 6, 1928. 1,690,205

D. PARRETT TWO-WHEELED TRACTOR FOR CULTIVATORS AND OTHER MACHINES AND METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING SAME Filed Dec. 11, 1924 '7 Sheets-Sheet 1 'iHi Q; M i 2 In van/Tor; W an/2J2,

Jif y Nov. 6, 1928.

. 1,690,205 D. PARRETT TWO-WHEELED TRACTOR FOR CULTIVATQRS AND OTHER MACHINES AND METHOD OF CONSTRUGTING SAME 7 Sheet s-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 11, 1924 Inventor:

NOV. 6, 1928. 1,690,205

D. PARRETT TWO-WHEELED TRACTOR FOR CULTIVATORS AND OTHER MACHINES AND METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING SAME Filed Dec. 11, 1924 Sheets-S eet 5 Y- Y L In 1/6 72 Z07":

I I j W Nov. 6, 1928. 1,690,205

D. PARRETT TWO-WHEELED TRACTOR FOR CULTIVA'IORS AND OTHER MACHINES AND METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING SAME Filed Dec. 11, '1924 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Nov. 6, 1928.

1,690,205 D. PARRETT TWO-WHEELED TRACTOR FOR CULTIVATORS AND OTHER MACHINES AND METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING SAME Filed Dec. 11, 1924 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Nov. 6, 1928. I 1,690,205

D. PA ETT TWO-WHEELED TRACTOR FO ULTIVATORS AND OTHER ACHINES ,AND METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING SAME Filed Dec. 11, 1924 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 *3 lm/enzor Nov. 6, 1928. 1,690,205

D. PARRETT TWO-WHEELED TRACTOR FOR GULTIVATORS AND OTHER MACHINES AND METHOD OF CONSTRUGTING E Filed Dec. 11, 1924 Sheets-Sheet 7 g Lia 13 3 Patented Nov. 6 1928.

omrsn sures PATENT canes.

- nmrrrannnrr, QFCHICAGO HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS.

'rwo-wnniztnn r'ne'dron FOB cunmva'rons AND ornnn MACHINES AND ivrETHon or dons'muo'rmo SAME.

A lication filed December 11, 1924. semi in); 755,131.

The principal object of the present invention is to produce a simple and novel two wheeled tractor mainly outofstandard automobile parts wherebyold automobiles whose hoit'todgreatly worn, may be put to a beneficial usefa't a comparatively smallcost.

Viewed in another of its aspects, my invention may be said to have "forits (object to produce a light two wheeled tractorat a much lower cost than it has been possible heretofore to make "tractors, by utilizing to "a large extent standard used automobile parts.

It is necessary to provide steering means for motor vehielesof anykind and there fore, viewed in one of its aspects, my in vention may be said tohave for its object to produce a simple and novel steering mechanism for a two Wheeled tractor.

Viewed in another of its aspects my invention maybe said to haverfor its obj ect' to pro duce a simple and n'ovel steering and controlling means for a two'wheeled tractor, which will pei-mit the operator seated. on a cultivator or other machine that is being drawn by the tractor, easily and conveniently to 1 control the speed and direction of movement of the tractor.

Viewed in another ojf its a'spects my in ,vention may be said to have for its object to produce a simple and novel draftconnec- .tion between a tractor and a'drawn vehicle, which willf'permit the combined machines readily to adapt themselves to any qualities 3 in the ground over which they are traveling, and thus avoid the creation of injurious stresses. V a A further objectfof the invention isto provide zitwoavheeled tractor employing a trans versely arranged driving shaft casing together with driving connections between the driving shafts and the carrying wheels so arranged that the carrying 'wheels may be positioned within the planes of the driving connections so that a standard driving sh'ait my invention is characterized will hereinafter. be pointed out .with partlcularity 1n the claims; but, for a full understanding of my power plant, includingthe driving axle, are

casing together with its driving parts may on the ends of the ordinary rear axle-and I invention and of its objects and'advantages,

reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: "Figure 1 is; a side view of a machine arranged in accordance with my invention, at"

tached to a cultivator; Fig. 2 is a front view;

Fig. 3 is a section taken approximately on "line 3- 3 of Fig. 1, the cultivator being omitted; Fig' 4 isa top plan view of the tractor, showing only the frame, the traction wheels and the driving shalt, together with the steering and draft tongue; Fig. 5 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale, part of the housing being broken away, of the driving mechanism between the standard au- '70 toinobile axle and one of the traction wheels; Fig. 6 is a sectiontaken approximately on line 66 of Fig. 5;. Fig. 7 is a view partly in section andpartly in elevation, on an enlarged scale, through the body of the tractor, the motor andthe tractionwheelsbeing omitted; 1

Fig. 8 is a top plan View of the parts shown in Fig. 7-; Fig.-9 is'a" detailshowing an attachirien-t for operating the clutch pedal; Fig; 1-0 is an axial section through thesteering post adjaceiti-t to the steering wheel, the latter being shown in elevation; Fig. 11 is a section taken approximately on line 11-11 of Fig. 10; Fig. 12 is a side View of one of the side plates or' the main frame; and S5 Fig.1.; isanend view of the side plate.

"Inthe drawings I -have illustratedacoi'n' struction made-out-ofparts of Ford cars and, since this is the'construction that will ordinarilybe most useful, I shall confine the detailed description to thisparticular form of the invention; although it will of course be understood that :thereare other types of aultoniobiles that lend fpossible the use (if these elements, including the controlling levers or pedals. A tractor adapted for cultivating would have too wide a tread, if the traction wheels were placed have therefore devised an arrangement in whicht-he traction wheels are carried hy one a-Xle andaresimply driven from a second axle which is the standard rear axle of an auto mobile; The engine or power plant and the ill transmission may be used without change, provided a. simple adapter is employed to connect the casing of the transi'nission to the casing for the rear axle. The new parts required for the body of the tractor are therefore only a simple framework, a simple axle, the adapter, and driving means between the automobile axle and the traction wheels.

Having in view only the simplest embodiment of the invention, the construction is readily apparent from the drawings, wherein 1 represents a standard Ford automobile power plant mounted on its supporting frame members 2 that are cut oil a short distance in rear of the power plant. 3 is the standard transmission and i represents the complete rear axle with its dillerential and casing. The frame on which the foregoing parts are mounted is made of two wide vertical channels .5 constituting side plates; one of these side plates being shown separately in Figs. 12 and 13; together with two cross pieces (3, 6 that may be in the form of angle irons as best shown in Fig. 4, these cross pieces resting on and being secured to the upper flanges of the side plates; and a longitudinal center piece 7 attached to the cross pieces.

As best shown in Fig. 7, the casing of the transmission 3 and the differential casing of the axle 4 are connected together into a rigid unit by means of a short tubular adapter 8. To the rear end of each of the side plates is fastened by 'ivets or other suitable fastening devices (not shown) an angle plate one llange 9 of which extends at right angles to the plane of the vertical portion of the plate and is provided with two holes 10, 10; while the other flange, 11 lies against the side plate and projects beyond the rear edge oi the latter where it is provided with a semi-circular notch 12. The casing for the rear axle lits into the notches ot' the two angle plates and is held therein by two U-bolts 13, the arms of which pass through the holes 10 in the angle plates and are provided with nuts by means of which the bolts are drawn tightly in place. Each side plate is provided on the inner side, below the longitudinal center line and adjacent to the front end with a projection M and, at a considerable distance in rear of the projection, with a hole 15. The parts are so proportioned that when the power plant properly placed between the side plates, its supporting frame members 2 rest on the projections 1 L while a. bolt or pin passes through each of the holes 15 in the side plates and through the adjacent frame members of the power plant, locking the power plant in place.

The support for the body of the tractor is in the form of an axle l6 shaped like a wide inverted U. This axle is fastened to the side plates by means of U-bolts 17 embracing the horizontal portion of the axle and passing up through the lower flanges of the side plate as best shown in Figs. 2, 2.5 and T. The axle 16 thus serves not only as the vehicle axle but also as a cross connection l. etween the lower edges of the side pieces of the main ti'aiiie. ()n the lower ends of the depending arms of the axle are horizontal ouuvardly directed journal members l8, l8. Traction wheels ii) are rotatably supported on these journals. As best shown in Figs. a and (3, each traction wheel has thereon a large sprocket wheel 20 and there is a sprocket chain 21 extending around this wheel and a small sprocket wheel 22 on the rotatable member 1225 of the rear axle device i. it will be seen that the sprocket Wheels :2 occupyjhe positions ordinarily taken by the rear wheels of the automobile, whereas the traction wheels 15) may be placed as close together as desired. and "vet permit an eilectivc driving connection to be provided from the axle 4, without making any change in the latter.

Each set oi sprocket wheels and its driving chain is rncloscd within a suitable housing it that connected both to the axle a and to the supporting axle for the machine. 'l'hese housings serve a double purpose because they not only cover the driving gearing, but also act as rigid frame members that lie the ends of the two axles together and thus prevent the U-s-1hapcd axle 'lrom swinging about the longitudinal axis of its horizontal upper portion. The housings may, in fact, serve a third purpose which is that of taking up slack in the driving chains, and the arrangement shown is adapt ed to accomplish this purpose. The journals or skeins 18 simply pass through thickened hub-like portions on the housings. The rear end of each housing is connected to a racket :26 secured to the adjacent flange 27 on the casing of the axle l, by means of a bolt 28. This bolt passes through the end of the housing, the head being on the inner side of the housii'ig and there being a nut 29 on the outer side, so that the bolt is rigidly connected to the housing. The bolt passes through a hole, preferably in the form of an open jaw 30 in a lip 31 oi the bracket 2(3. and there are nuts 32 and 525 on the bolt on opposite sides of this lip. By adjusting the nuts 32 and 33, the housing may be moved bodily, forwardly or rearwardly, and be locked in any adjusted position.

For steering purposes that portion of tin.- tractor thus dcscribed should be rotatable. preferably about an axis passing vertically approximately through its center of gravity and through the. axis of rotation of the traction whet-ls. l have therefore provided the tractor with a draw bar 35 underlying the longitudinal central frame member 7 and secured at its front end to the latter by a bolt; 30. This pivotal connection is placed tar behind the horizontal portion of ill] lUS

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" supporting axle, but the depending arms of this axle extend rearwardly as well as downwardly, as best shown in Fig. 1', so that the axis of rotation of the traction" wheels is approximately below the pivotal connection hetweenthe draw barand the body of the tractor. The point of this pivotal connection is also approximately in a vertical line containing the center of ravity of the structure.

The draw bar is adapted to be attached .to the vehicle or machine to be drawn, and

' within the trough or channel 37 is a shorter narrower channel 38 to the rear end of which is fixed a tubular steering post 39, as best shownin Fig. 4 Through. the steering post and the channel 38 extends a steering shaft 40, on the front end of which is fixed a pinion 41 best shown in Fig. 7 This pinion meshes with a curved rack 42 fixedto the frame of the tractor unit andhaving its center at the pivot point 36. It will'be seen that when the steering shaft is turned in one direction or .the other, the pinion acts on the rack and causes'the rack to move toward the right or v the left, thus swinging the tractor unit about straight ahead and, in dotted lines, the unit the pivot point 36 Fig. 4 showing, in full lines, the tractor :unit positioned to travel swung into position .topermitit to turn to the left. Unless the steering wheelbe made un- 'du'l y largeyitmay be difficult to steer, if the steering wheel is fastened directly to the steering shaft. I have therefore arranged between the steering wheel 43 and its shaft,

' as best shown in Figs. 10 and 11, a reduction gearing, so as to give the driver the benefit of a long leverage, Referring to Figs. 10

.and11,\44 represents a flange or head fixed to .therear end of the steering post, and a5 is a shallowi cuprshaped casing or housing bolted or otherwise fastened to the member 44 to form with the latter a gear, con opartment. The steering wheelhas a stub shaft46' extending through the center ofthe casing and having a bearing in the rear end of the steering shaft 40. The steering shaft has a flange or enlargement 47 lying within, the gear compartment. On "the stub shaft 46 is a pinion 48 thatmeshes with a plurality of pinions 4:9 distributed about the same and rotatablymounted on the flange or head 41?.

Thepinions 49 mesh with internal gear teeth ;50 ontheannular wallof thecasing45. It will thus be seen that when the steering wheel is turned, the pinionA 8thereon rotates the pinions 49 and, as thelat'te r 'Ipinions mesh with the stationary internal gear, they must run along the same, carrying "the head or enlargement 47 and, thesteeringshaft with them. 7 Consequently the steering shaft is retated much more slowly than the steering wheel or, in other words, a large angular movement of the steeringwheel produces only a small angular movement of the steeringshaft. i

The standard foot pedals for controlling the motor and the brake are employed, but I have provided-a special device for con trolling the throttle and shall first describe this feature. Referring to Figs. 7 and 8,:it will be seen that on the rear cross member -6 of the main frame, near the ends ofthe latter are'twovertical posts 52. A bail-madeof short arms 53"and a long connecting piece 54 is pivotedto the upper ends of these posts, the pivotal connection illustrated being made by bending the free ends of the arms 53'inwardly, as indicated at 54, and passing them through holes in the posts, so that the long rod. or bar 55 lies just in front of Land is synnnetrically disposed with respect tothe curved rackp Fixed to oneend o-f the bail is a lever arm 56 to the free end of which is attached the controlling wire or cable 57 for the throttle. N ormallythe bail is held so that it lies approxin'iately inahorizontal plane. By pressing downon the bar 5%lof the bail, the controlling lever 5a is swung back and therefore pulls on the throttle wire orcable. The controlling means for the bail consists of a rod 58 extending lengthwise of the chan- ;nel 37 andcOnvenien-tly supported by the latter in bearings 59, of which one isshown, so as to be rotatable aboutits long-axis. A section 60 at the front end of this rod is "displaced laterally from the main portion of the rod, but lies parallel thereto forming, as it were, an elongated crank pin. The part 60 is of such length" and is so disposed that some portion thereof always overlies the part Mot the ball so that, no matter, into what posi tion the tractor, unit is swung" for steering purposes, a predetermined angular movement of the controlling rod will always produce a predetermined swinging movement the bail.

pedal. The reverse pedalfis operated by a ing over idle pulleys and .66 as be'stgshown in Figs. 7 and'8; the cable *extendingrearwardly to the operators position. The other wardly. Fixed to theshaft "67 are two radial arms and 71, providedat their free ends with rollers 72. The roller on the arm 70 is adapted to engage with the pedal 61', and

61, 62 and 68 represent respectively the 41-15 usua clutch pedal, reverse pedal andbrake simple cable 64 or other flexiblemember, pass 6S fixed thereto, and the rocker arm being I actuated by means iofa rod 69 (intending rearthe roller on the arm 71 is adapted to engage with the pedal 63. lVhen the pedal. (38 is pushed forward as far as it will go the brakes are applied. The pedal 61, in the type of antomobile under consideration, has three positions, at forward position which is for low speed, intermediate or neutral position, and a rear position which is the high speed position. It will thus be seen that when the actuating shaft 6? is turned, the brakes will be off in the high speed position and on in the neutral and the low speed positions of th; pedal (51. Ordinarily the machine will be operated on high speed but. as it ma sometimes be desirable to operate it at low speed, I have provided a simple arrangement for causing the pedal (Sl to he moved into its forward or low speed position by the movement of the actuating rock shaft that would normally permit the pedal to assume its high speed position. This detail is best shown in Fig. 9. The rocker arm It) is extended downwardly beyond the shaft (37 and there pro-- vided with an car 73. Pivotally connected at one end to this car is a bar it having thereon a laterally projecting pin T5. Normally, when the machine is to be operated on high speed, the bar 74 hangs down in the position shown in dotted lines. hen, it is desired to operate on low speed. the bar swungup into the position shown in full lines. hringlng the pin T5 into engagement with the shank or stem of the pedal. Then, when the rocker arm 71 is swung back, the pedal (31, instead of following the rocker arm, is pushed forward by the pin 75 and assumes its low speed position while, at the same time, the brakes remain off.

The controls, as heretofore stated, are carried rearwardly in proximity to the steering wheel, but in the main figure, l ig. l. I have omitted all of the controls except the rod 69 that actuatcs the rock shaft (37. This rod extends rcarwardly to a hand lever 7'7 pivotally supporting at its lower end to the rear end of the trough or channel 37.

It will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 8 that the controlling cable Gil, leading rearwardlv from the pullev (it), and the controlline: rod 69 are arranged close to the pivotal point 3 so that there will be no material effect on these elements when the tractor unit is turned somewhat toward the right or the left in steering.

In Figs. 1 and 7 I have illustrated a means whereby a cultivator may be attached to the draw bar. It will be seen that the support for the front end of the steering shaft a heavy bracket '78 that also forms a partial housing for the pinion ll. This bracket is firmly clamped to the draw bar by means of suitable clamping devices 79. represents the tongue of an ordinary cultivator. Near the front and rear ends of this tongue are fastened blocks 81. and 82 respectively. The

draw bar 35 passes through openings in these blocks. The front block rests a gainst the rear face of the bracket 78 while the rear block rests against a part 82 fixed to the rear end of the draw bar and serving as a support. for the rear portion of the trough or channel 37. lt will thus be seen that the cultivator tongue is held against movements relative to the draw bar in the direction of the length of the latter; but, since the draw bar simply passes through openings or hearings in the blocks on the tongue, the draw bar is permitted to rotate in these blocks. Therefore it one of the wheels of the tractor drops into a depression or rides over an obstruction, the entire tractor unit simply oscillates about the longitudinal axis of the draw bar, thus avoiding the imposition of objectionable stre While I have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, 1 do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come within the delinitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the character described, a frame, a power plant mounted on said frame, a transverse driving shaft casing immovably secured to said frame, an inverted U-shaped wheel axle pivotally mounted on said frame having wheel journals, said axle being pivoted to said frame in a. manner to permit its journals to swing to or from said casing, and adjustable rigid connections between the ends of said casing and said axle to adjust the position of said journals and hold the same against swinging movement.

2. In amachine of the character described, a frame, a power plant mounted on said frame, a transverse driving shaft casing immovably secured to said f 'ame in the rear of said power plant. a driving shaft rotatably mounted in said casing, an inverted U-shaped wheel axle having wheel journals iivotally mounted on said frame in a manner to permit said journals to he swung to or from said casing, traction wheels on said journals, driving mechanism between the ends of said shaft and said wheels, and adjustable protecting housings for said mechanism each connected at one end to an end of said casing and at its outer end to the said wheel axle.

3. In a machine of the character described, a. frame, a power plant mounted on said frame, a transverse driving shaft easing immovably secured to said frame, a drive shaft therein, an inverted U-shaped wheel axle having wheel journals located at. some distance from the drive shaft, said wheel axle being so pivoted to said frame as to permit the journals to be swung forwardly and rearwardlv, wheels on said journals, driving connections between said drive shaft and said wheels, and

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adjustable connections between the ends of saidcasing and said wheel journals to swing said journals forwardly and rearwardly to adjust said driving connections and hold said journalsstationary.

4. In a' machine of the character described, a frame, a transverse driving shaft casing secured to the frame, an axle in the form of an inverted U hung from the frame in advance of said casing, journals on the lower endsof the depending arms of said axle, traction wheels on said journals, a driving shaft in said casing, driving connections between the ends of said shaft and said wheels, and ties between the ends of said casing and the ends ofsaid axle in the vicinity of the journals for holding the axle against swinging movements.

5. In a machine of the character described, a frame, a transverse driving shaft casing secured to said frame, an axle in the form of an inverted U hung fromthe frame in advance of said casing so as to be capable of swinging about an axis parallel with said casing, journals projecting laterally from the lower ends of the depending arms of said axle, traction wheels on said journals, a driving shaft in said casing, a sprocket chain drive between each end of said shaft and the corresponding traction wheel, and housings for said chain drives each connected at one end to one end of said casing and at the other end to the corresponding journal on the axle.

6. In a machine of the character described, a frame, a transverse driving shaft casing secured to said frame, an axle in the form of an inverted U hung from the frame in advance of said casing so as to be capable of swinging about an axis parallel with said casing, journals projecting laterally from the lower ends of the depending arms of said axle, traction wheels on said journals, a driving shaft in said casing, a sprocket ch ain d are between each end of said shaft and the corre I sponding traction wheel, and housings for said chain drives each connected at one end to one end of said casing and at the other end to the corresponding journal on the axle, the connection at one end of each of said housings being constructed and arranged to permit the housing to be adjusted in the direction. of its length to vary the distance between the corresponding journal and the driving shaft.

7. In a machine of the character described, a drawbar, a tractor unit pivoted to, said drawbar to swing about a Vertical axis, a controlling device on said unit comprising a long transverse rod mounted to swing about an axis spaced apart thereupon and arranged parallel thereto, and an actuating member movable with said drawbar and having a long crank overlying and extending transversely of said rod. J i

8. In a structure of the character described, a frame, a power plant mounted on said sprocket wheels, sprocket wheels connected with the outer sides of said carrying wheels in line respectively with the driving sprocket wheels, a chain running directly from each driving sprocket wheel to the corresponding sprocket wheel on the carrying wheels, and a.

rigid adjustable connection between said casing and theside portions of. said axle.

9. In a structure of the character described, a frame, a power plant mounted on said frame, a transverse driving shaft casing immovably mounted on said frame at the rear of and. in close proximity to said power plant, a driving sl'iaft projecting from each end of said casing, sprockct wheels on the ends of said driving shafts, an inverted U-shaped wheel axle pivotally mounted on said frame forward of said casing, carrying wheels ournaled on said axle in vertical planes between the vertical planes of said driving shaft sprocket wheels, sprocket wheels-connected with the outer sides of said carrying wheels in line respectively with the driving sprocket wheels, a chain running directly from each driving sprocket wheel to the corresponding sprocket wheel on the carrying wheels, and a rigid housing for each sprocket chain connected at oneend to said shaft casing and at the other end with said wheel axle.

10. In a structure of the character described, a frame, a power plant mounted onthe frame, a. transverse driving shaft casing secured to the frame m'nnovably at the rear of and in close'proximity to said power plant,

a wheel axle arranged parallel with said casingand pivotally mounted on said frame, said axle having depending arms, carrying wheels journaled. on said depending arms, driving shafts in said casing and projecting from the ends thereof, a sprocket wheel on the end of each driving shaft, a. sprocket wheel con,-

nected with the outside of each carrying cation.

DENT PARRETT. 

